Speaker pitches for new Parliament building

India may get a new Parliament building with latest technological facilities, as a proposal has been mooted by Lok Sabha Speaker who has said the existing 88-year-old structure is showing signs of "distress" and will no longer be able to meet the growing demand for space.

She has written to Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu asking him to consider initiating action for construction of a new Parliament building and has also suggested two options for the alternative site, one within the Parliament complex itself and another across Rajpath, sources said.

The sources said the possible follow-up to the letter is that the urban development ministry will prepare a note for the Cabinet where the matter could be considered.

While giving various reasons for constructing a new building, the Speaker has said the number of seats in Lok Sabha is likely to go up after 2026, "in accordance with the provisions of the explanation to clause (3) Article 81 of the Constitution" while the present seating capacity of the House is 550 without any scope for increasing it further.

In her letter, Mahajan has said, "On account of ageing of the Parliament House building and expansion in activities, staff etc, the building has shown signs of distress and over utilisation...Under the circumstances, there is an imperative need for the construction of a new state-of-art Parliament building."

She argued that the present structure which was commissioned in 1927, has over the years seen the parliamentary activities and number of people working there and visitors increase manifold.